Written questions by Ward.

What plans she has to increase support for families in the context of trends in the cost of energy caused by the conflict in Iran.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she will consider extending the validity of driving theory tests from two years to three years.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time. Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the opening of a humanitarian corridor between Gaza and the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on access to Gaza for a) Palestinian doctors and b) international doctors.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement to the House I made on 5 January, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and several of her counterparts on 30 December, available on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's proposed timeline is for banning cages in relation to hens and pigs.

The recently published Animal Welfare Strategy sets out that ending the use of cages and crates is a key priority for this Government.We are currently consulting on a proposed timeline to ban the instalment of new enriched ‘colony’ cages for the keeping of laying hens and any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers from 2027 and the use of existing cages from 2032.As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy we will be consulting on pig farrowing crates and a proposed timeline for the transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems: either flexible or free farrowing.

For what reason the CAA cannot release occurrence information on pilot fatigue events.

Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (“MOR”) Regulations mean that the Civil Aviation Authority can only use information from MORs for the purpose for which they have been collected. The CAA does not make any information from MORs available. The CAA only uses information from MORs to maintain or improve aviation safety, not to attribute blame or liability.

How many occasions in the last year the Health and Safety Executive has discussed the issue of pilot fatigue with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Where a fatigue issue may have led to a safety incident, the UK CAA's Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) scheme requires that operators send a report to the UK CAA. However, these reports can only be used to improve aviation safety, and the CAA cannot release occurrence information on pilot fatigue events. The risk of flight crew fatigue is managed under regulations which limit the number of hours pilots can be on duty over a given period of time. The CAA monitors and oversees UK Airlines’ management of flight time to ensure that airlines have appropriate and effective systems in place to manage fatigue. Although the UK CAA do interact with the HSE on matters of mutual interest, it should be noted that the HSE has no remit in regard to the FTL (Flight Time Limitations) regulations.

How many incidents of pilot fatigue have been reported to the Civil Aviation Authority in each of the past 10 years.

Where a fatigue issue may have led to a safety incident, the UK CAA's Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) scheme requires that operators send a report to the UK CAA. However, these reports can only be used to improve aviation safety, and the CAA cannot release occurrence information on pilot fatigue events. The risk of flight crew fatigue is managed under regulations which limit the number of hours pilots can be on duty over a given period of time. The CAA monitors and oversees UK Airlines’ management of flight time to ensure that airlines have appropriate and effective systems in place to manage fatigue. Although the UK CAA do interact with the HSE on matters of mutual interest, it should be noted that the HSE has no remit in regard to the FTL (Flight Time Limitations) regulations.

If she will outline the steps and decision-making criteria for awarding the Army Collective Training Service contract.

The Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) will deliver the new Army Collective Training Service (ACTS) through a competitive process under Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) 2011. Prospective suppliers first completed a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire and then two rounds of tendering. The final bids of the two remaining prospective suppliers have been assessed on technical (performance, collaborative behaviours, social value, Land Industrial Strategy), commercial (terms and conditions), and financial criteria. The highest-scoring bid will win. In November 2025 I announced that a decision would be announced in February 2026. I have agreed that the programme team can release the results of the competition in January 2026 leading to an announcement in February 2026 of an initial Early Works and Risk Reduction contract with the preferred tenderer. Once the preferred bidder is chosen and the Defence Investment Plan is published, the programme will submit a Full Business Case in line with normal Government Major Projects Portfolio process before a decision to award the main ACTS contract will be made which is expected later in the summer.

Media and Sport, whether she is planning a further allocation of funding to support grassroots football in Scotland.

The Government is committed to ensuring that communities across the UK benefit from high-quality sport facilities to help enable people to get active. The Government has committed at least £400 million to be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years across the UK.Funding is subject to departmental business planning processes which are ongoing. Further details will be announced in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's Mass Atrocity Prevention Hub for supporting the UK’s response to the situation in El Fasher, Darfur.

The Mass Atrocity Hub is now part of The Conflict and Atrocity Prevention Department, which has been working closely with the Africa Directorate and British Office Sudan since April 2023. Support has included assessing the risk of atrocities in Sudan, providing analytical capabilities to collect, verify and preserve open-source data relating to potential atrocity crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, as well as technical advisory support on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's atrocity prevention and response workstreams.

Whether her Department plans to allow people with epilepsy who have been seizure-free for more than ten years while taking medication to apply for a driver's licence.

People with epilepsy can be issued with a licence to drive Group 1 vehicles (cars and motorcycles) after being seizure free for 12 months (whether or not they are taking medication to treat epilepsy) and as long as they are following their medical professional’s advice on treatment. The law currently requires a driving licence applicant to have been free from seizures for 10 years, without medication, before the issue of a Group 2 (lorries and buses) licence can be considered. The Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and disorders of the nervous system, provides advice on the medical standards for driving with epilepsy. In October 2023, the panel confirmed that it was satisfied with the existing requirements but would consider any future research or evidence in this area.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of jury service on people employed on zero hour contracts.

Jury service is an important civic duty, and we want to help jurors feel supported as they undertake this important role. The Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of jury service on people employed on zero-hour contracts. However, all employees including those employed on zero-hour contracts are legally protected from dismissal or unfair treatment due to jury service under the Employment Rights Act 1996. All employees who are summoned for jury service are entitled to renumerations for travel, subsistence and loss of earnings expenses, including those on zero-hour contracts. They can also apply for a deferral or excusal based upon financial hardship. The Government keeps all support provided to jurors throughout their service under review.

Media and Sport, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) UK charities and (b) the Charity Commission to ensure that charities do not invest in illegal settlements in occupied territory which are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not issued such guidance to charities or to the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The Government and Charity Commission for England and Wales expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.Any concerns about a charity’s activities should be referred to the charity in the first instance. If their response is unsatisfactory or there is a belief that the charity is acting unlawfully or engaged in misconduct or mismanagement, concerns can be raised with the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission takes such concerns seriously, prioritising resources and taking appropriate and proportionate action. As a civil regulator, the Charity Commission refers all potential criminal matters to the relevant law enforcement body for investigation.The Charity Commission provides a range of guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in the best interests of their charity.

When she expects Network Rail to have completed a feasibility study on making Burntisland railway station accessible.

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include Burntisland railway station. We expect to provide an update to stakeholders during the summer.

What recent progress her Department has made on increasing driving examiner recruitment in Fife.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The driving test centres that serve candidates in Fife are Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. From a recent recruitment campaign a potential new driving examiner (DE) has been offered a position in Dunfermline. Following successful completion of training and pre-employment checks, it is hopeful the candidate will be in post by autumn. A further potential DE who had been offered a post in Kirkcaldy, has since withdrawn from the process. DVSA will be undertaking another recruitment campaign shortly and will again advertise for posts in this area.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage on people in Wales.

Up to 160,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through increases to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, whilst 18-to-20-year-olds will get a record boost of £2,500 each year. This will help provide people across Wales with better financial stability.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of a supply shortage of Aimovig on people who experience migraines.

The Department is aware of a recent short term supply issue with one strength of Aimovig. We worked with NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and the devolved administrations to expedite resupply and have confirmed that stock is now available for patients to access. Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, and use of Serious Shortage Protocols. In addition, we will issue communications to the National Health Service, which provides management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle ageism in the provision of financial services.

The Government works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK’s financial services sector, to ensure that all customers get the right support with their financial products and services. The FCA requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. Ensuring individuals have access to appropriate financial products and services is also a key priority for the Government. This is why I have committed to publish a Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year which will seek to tackle a range of barriers consumers can face in accessing the products they need. Additionally, the Equality Act 2010 generally prohibits discrimination based on certain protected characteristics, including age. There are some limited exceptions to this. For example, insurance providers cannot refuse to cover potential consumers or charge more for insurance as a result of age, unless they base their risk assessment on relevant information from a reliable source.

Whether his Department plans to review the current accreditation process for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

While the Government works closely with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), the Secretary of State does not formally review its accreditation process, given MCS’ independent status. MCS is introducing a wide-ranging reforms programme, and the Government is closely monitoring the introduction of these reforms. The reforms are designed to improve consumer protection, and reduce unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy for installers, including around the installer accreditation process.